Leavell, Hettel, Barr Honored At Awards Luncheon

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s 25th annual River Bell Awards Luncheon raised a record $537,000 in support of SCI’s chaplaincy, crisis response, advocacy and training programs for mariners while also paying tribute to some of those who have made a significant contribution to the industry.

SCI presented George G. Leavell, CEO of Wepfer Group LLC, with the River Bell Award. Marty Hettel, retired vice president of government affairs for American Commercial Barge Line, received the Distinguished Service Award. William Barr, the retired vice president of safety and compliance for Amherst Madison, received the River Legend Award.

Crews of two towboats were honored with lifesaving awards: the crew of Crounse Corporation’s mv. Susan Robinson and the crew of Moran Towing’s Mary Moran.

The Susan Robinson crew responded July 1 to Olmsted Locks and Dam after the mv. Jackie Lee Anderson lost power for unknown reasons and was swept through the tainter gate, along with the mv. 775 workboat, which capsized. The crew worked with local emergency responders, pulling people from the water and getting them to safety without any lives lost.

The mv. Mary Moran came to the assistance of the mv. Patrick Studdert, a towboat that capsized after colliding with a bulk cargo ship, on December 29, 2024, in Luling, La. The crew was first on the scene and pulled all five of the Studdert’s crewmembers out of the water safely.

A record 634 people attended the luncheon December 11 at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention and Expo Center in Paducah, Ky.

River Bell

In presenting the River Bell Award to Leavell, business partner John Wepfer described him with words beginning with the letter C, including compassion, commitment and communication.

When making business deals, Leavell wants it to be a win for all involved, Wepfer said. He also described him as honest “almost to a fault.” Another person in the industry described Leavell as “so honest I would shoot craps with him over the phone.”

Leavell expressed his passion for the industry in his remarks.

“I loved this industry from the first time I stepped on a towboat and every day since that day,” he said.

Leavell said he has had great teammates and mentors along the way and praised mariners, saying their job requires skill, long work, persistence and respect.

“It’s an industry that demands teamwork at every level to be successful,” he said.

While companies are competitors, in times of need they come together and help each other.

“The people in this industry meet the challenges they face, and they do it together,” Leavell said.

Leavell also said the industry has many smart and talented young men and women within it and is “in good hands for years to come.”

Finally, he urged those within the industry to continue talking to government officials and regulators about its importance, saying, “We all need to stay very, very engaged.”

Distinguished Service Award

Mark Knoy, a member of SCI’s board of trustees, introduced Hettel, noting that he started out as a deckhand in the inland waterways industry in 1980 but also spent time as a longshoreman before his career path eventually led into logistics, purchasing, operations, insurance, personnel, shipping and receiving, freight sales and regulatory affairs. He spent 24 years with AEP River Operations, and then with ACBL when the company purchased AEP.

During his career, Hettel served on numerous industry boards, including the Inland Waterways Users Board, where he spent six years as chairman, the Illinois River Carriers Association, Ohio River Basin Alliance, Waterways Council Inc. (WCI), River Industry Executive Task Force and the Transportation Research Board.

Knoy described Hettel as passionate and dedicated and praised his “tireless efforts and support to improve our nation’s waterways infrastructure.” Hettel also collaborated closely with the Corps of Engineers, among others.

“On many of his other trips to Capitol Hill he has produced real results for everyone who relies on an efficient and effective inland waterway system, and for that effort, we owe you our gratitude, Marty,” Knoy said.

Hettel recalled stepping on the lead fleet boat at Triangle Fleet his first day as a deckhand, adding, “Needless to say, I had no idea it would lead to a 45-year career in that industry.”

Hettel also mentioned several mentors and then spoke about the working groups he participated in and how he attended events and advised lawmakers regarding legislation that would affect the industry.

“My goal in these working groups was to receive the best results I could, not only for the organization I worked with but also to achieve the best results for the inland waterway industry overall,” he said.

Hettel also mentioned testifying several times before the Mississippi River Commission during its low-water inspection tour and trying to convince them of the benefits of maintaining a 12-foot navigation channel from Cairo, Ill., to Baton Rouge, La., as congressionally authorized in the Flood Control Act of 1944.

While now retired from the industry, Hettel said he continues to volunteer two days a week, leading lock tours at Melvin Price Lock and Dam, helping to educate the public about the importance of the inland waterways system.

River Legend

Robert McCoy of Amherst Madison presented Barr with the River Legend Award, pointing out his nickname of “Bowtie Bill.”

Barr began working on Amherst Madison vessels in the 1970s, gaining hands-on experience on deck and in the engineroom while pursuing higher education. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and joined Amherst Coal Company and its affiliates, taking on roles in accounting, traffic management and marine operations. From 1979 to 2001, he served as marine traffic manager, overseeing barge logistics, vessel charters, rate administration and personnel management.

“He’s held virtually every job in the company at some time over the past 50 years,” McCoy said.

McCoy also described Barr as a gentleman, saying he had never heard him curse in the past 30 years that he has known him and doesn’t recall ever really seeing him mad.

Barr described his romance with the rivers, from reading about them to taking family river vacation trips and working on the river during the summers as a young man. Barr also displayed historical boat photos during his acceptance speech and spoke about his participation with the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen and the honor of having a boat named after him.

He capped off his remarks by singing from part of a musical called “Riverboat Man” that his father wrote, including the words, “My Dad before me was a riverboat man, and I will be one ‘til I die.”

Featured image caption: Wepfer Group’s George G. Leavell receives the River Bell Award at this year’s River Bell Awards Luncheon in Paducah, Ky. Also pictured are Marquette Transportation’s Damon Judd, co-chair of the awards committee; Ingram Barge Company’s Aaron Barrett, co-chair of the awards committee; John Wepfer with Wepfer Group; and the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, president and executive director of SCI. (Photo courtesy of SCI)